Penn State football to play in Outback Bowl against Arkansas
Penn State has learned its bowl game and opponent.
The Nittany Lions are headed to the Outback Bowl. They will face Arkansas at Noon on New Year’s Day. Brett McMurphy of The Action Network first reported the news. The bowl game announced the matchup late Sunday afternoon
Entering Sunday, the 7-5 Lions were expected to play in the Las Vegas Bowl. That’s because other Big Ten teams were seemingly higher up the postseason pecking order. But, the Outback picks higher than its bowl peers and was clearly attracted to the Penn State fanbase. Arkansas is expected to travel well, too.
Tickets can be found at the Outback Bowl website. They start at $80.
All-time, Penn State is 3-1 in the Outback Bowl. It last played in the Tampa, Fla., contest to end the 2010 season, when it lost to Florida 37-24.
“We are excited for our upcoming trip to Tampa Bay and to have the opportunity to represent Penn State in the Outback Bowl,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said in a released statement.
“I am thrilled for our guys to have one more month together as a family to prepare for Arkansas. Tampa Bay is a great destination for our loyal fan base, and we know they will be there in full force to help send this special group of seniors off on a high note. Thank you to the Outback Bowl Committee for this opportunity.”
The Nittany Lions and Razorbacks have never met in college football. Head coach Sam Pittman’s team is 8 – 4 on the year. Arkansas won its season finale, 34-17, over Missouri. The SEC team is 1-3 in road games but did win its lone neutral site game, which came over Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Penn State last played an SEC opponent in a bowl game in 2019. It lost the CItrus Bowl to Kentucky, 2019, in Orlando.
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The Penn State path to the postseason
Early projections had Penn State going to a New Year’s Six bowl when it was 5-0. However, after it lost to Iowa and then Illinois, things changed quickly.
The Lions were projected at various points to go to either the Las Vegas or Pinstripe Bowl. Head coach James Franklin’s team has never played in the former. It won the latter in New York back in 2014 when it topped Boston College.
Rumors started circulating that the Outback might push for Penn State over the last couple of weeks, though. And, while it was hard to believe seeing that other Big Ten teams at 8-4 were the logical pick, it is not hard to fathom why the bowl wanted Penn State and its fan base on hand.
Other Big Ten bowl games confirmed include Michigan to the College Football Playoff and Ohio State to the Rose Bowl. Michigan State will play Pitt in the Peach Bowl.
